MEDICAL services likely to be on offer at the new Wharfedale Hospital are finally to be revealed next month.

And now, the fight is on to make the hospital far more than a glorified health centre.

As part of the next stage of public consultation into the new hospital - proposed next to Garnetts Mill, Otley - health chiefs are to start a three month public consultation.

The Leeds Health Authority consultation, due to start on February 7, will ask people to comment on a proposal document put forward by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and covering all Leeds hospitals.

It is expected to look at the best way to provide health services across Leeds including proposed medical and health services at the new Wharfedale Hospital - and the preferred site.

A spokesman for Leeds Health Authority was unable to comment on the range of services proposed for the hospital before next month but said there would be an extensive public consultation. He said there would be a major publicity campaign and a series of public meetings in order to give as many people as possible the chance to view the proposals and to comment.

He said: "It will put forward the trust's proposals for services at Wharfedale hospital and its preferred location. We are keen to give people the chance to

comment and will be holding meetings and a wide publicity campaign."

Graham Hoult, lay member of the Leeds North West Primary Care Group (PCG), said there was still a large number of people who believed the new hospital would have the same range of services as the old one in its heyday.

"There is still a large group of people in a position of influence who believe Wharfedale Hospital has a chance of being what it once was."

He said a far more likely

situation would be that the new hospital would concentrate on largely investigative and day care surgery and the care of the elderly. But that the PCG believed there was scope to fight for more extensive services at the new

hospital offering slightly more than day surgery.

"There is a good case for five day surgery at Wharfedale, from nine to five, Monday to Friday. It would run on normal office hours and be slightly more than day surgery.We think there is middle ground for exploring," said Mr Hoult.

l After a long public consultation, Leeds Health Authority chose the site next to Garnett's Mill, off Pool Road, as the best site for a new Wharfedale hospital. Other sites considered last year were High Royds Hospital, Menston, and the current site in Newall Carr Road.

A planning application has been submitted by the health trust for the hospital at Garnetts but has yet to be considered by Leeds City Council. Garnetts has submitted a separate application for the same site for houses.

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